Former Navy signalman and scout troop founder passes away

The founder of Lent Rise Scout troop and a former Navy signalman described as a ‘true pioneer’ by his son has passed away, aged 93.

Arthur Grout, of Bailey Crescent, Burnham, grew up in Taplow and was an ‘avid’ young scout, where he learned Morse code and semaphore.

He died on March 6 after suffering an aneurysm at Wexham Park Hospital, Slough.

He founded the 1st Lent Rise Scout troop after serving in the navy during the Second World War, using skills he learned as a scout that his son, David Grout, noted ‘probably saved his life’.

‘Skip’ as he was known to his scouts, served on the HMS Queen Elizabeth in the same battle fleet as the Duke of Edinburgh, where he would send messages back and forth between the Princess Elizabeth, and Prince Philip, then Philip Mountbatten, requesting his presence at Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace.

David, of Bannard Road, Maidenhead said his father had fond memories of his service and often joked he had ‘travelled the world, and at the government’s expense’. When he was demobbed after the war he campaigned for a plot of land in Institute Road, Taplow, to become the base for the 1st Lent Rise Scout troop and raised the funds to build the scout hut there, which remains the home of the troop to this day.

Arthur served the troop for 45 years and was awarded the highest award in scouting – The Silver Acorn – in a ceremony at Windsor Castle, by the same man he had stood side by side with all those years ago, the Duke of Edinburgh.

David added: “He was an amazing man.

“Not just for his service, but as a father and a family man.

“He was driving us to Spain for holidays in his old Morris Oxford before other families in the area had even thought about getting a car.”

On VJ day last year he spent a good 15 minutes chatting to Prince Charles in London during the celebrations.

Arthur is survived by his wife Dorothy, 93, and children, David, Shirley and Jenny.

His funeral takes place at 3pm today (Thursday) at Slough Crematorium, with the wake at Burnham British Legion in Gore Road open to anyone that knew him

Live music and entertainment by Bombay Baja, The 10th annual Norden Farm Lantern Parade returns to the town centre with this years theme Carnival of the Animals - Down on the Farm - Photo: Emma Sheppard 9/12/18

Live music and entertainment by Bombay Baja, The 10th annual Norden Farm Lantern Parade returns to the town centre with this years theme Carnival of the Animals - Down on the Farm - Photo: Emma Sheppard 9/12/18